


sugar, we're going down

by xylomylo



Series: paper bags and plastic hearts [1]
Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-23
Updated: 2018-06-23
Packaged: 2019-04-26 16:33:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 15,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14406102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xylomylo/pseuds/xylomylo
Summary: "look!" nayeon's mouth is right at her ear. tzuyu doesn't even need to back away, because the volume's just right. "the purple-haired one, right at the front. apparently she's part veela."





	1. your love is an abyss for my heart to eclipse

**Author's Note:**

> title from fall out boy's sugar we're going down because i am knee deep in regret after missing the ticketing window. also my first ongoing/multishot because i am too long winded for my own good and it feels weird to leave so many things hanging but here goes

 

tzuyu scans the field.

 

it's instinctual, the way her eyes lock onto the golden glint right beside the hoops. everything else blurs away. her muscles tighten, and she flies, jaw locked in concentration.

 

there is wind in her face. she feels free. the sky is the limit. warming, in it's spring embers. she is burdenless. she is flying, she is at peace - 

 

then there's the familiar whizzing of a bludger. thank salazar she's had years of practice. good ears, lightning reflexes, but even then, sometimes it wasn't enough. she veers sharply to the left, gripping onto her firebolt for dear life - and turns around just in time to see the bludger pass her. inches away from her face.

 

"im nayeon!" 

 

there is laughter ringing from the field. tzuyu stares. fixes im nayeon with her trademark glare, because she'd almost got her head cracked open. again. 

 

"why do you always think it's me?" nayeon pouts. "it could be sana, you know." points at the brunette on her left. "she's the better beater." 

 

"hey!" sana swings her bat at nayeon, who dodges swiftly. she blinks. "wait. of course i'm the better beater, is that even up for discourse?" and punctuates it with an overdramatic hair-flip. with her bat. in clear sana-fashion, she flips a little too much, and her bat goes flying. straight into nayeon's eye. 

 

"ouch!"

 

tzuyu rolls her eyes. she'd lost the snitch. again.

 

this, is the slytherin quidditch team. she has no idea how they'd managed to snag house cup (thank god for their chasers).

 

 

 

/

 

 

 

"they're here!" dahyun yells, bursting through the doors of the great hall in a flurry of red and gold. 

 

tzuyu side-eyes the other girl. her smile is threatening to swallow up her entire face. it's mildly terrifying, and so she returns her attention to the charms essay that was due in less than twenty-four hours. it's pre-midterms week, which means deadlines and everything, and she can't be bothered to give a damn about what dahyun meant -

 

"oh my god," chaeyoung squeals. snaps her potions textbook shut, and jumps up. "did you see them?" 

 

"yeah. professor lee's giving them the official tour," dahyun is still smiling. then pauses, because everyone's eyes are on her. she puts on her prefect face, puffs out her chest and clears her throat. "they're at the courtyard, if anyone's interested." 

 

the great hall falls silent. and then on cue, erupts into chaos. there is screaming and yelling. some stand up immediately, running out - mostly a bunch of scrawny gryffindors. second-years, maybe. the worst of the lot. tzuyu sighs in defeat. puts her quill down, because there was no way she was going to finish this essay right now.

 

"who's here?"

 

the look dahyun gives her is scandalised. chaeyoung only snorts, before smacking the back of her head. 

 

"what kind of quidditch captain are you?" chaeyoung shakes her head. "dahyun's not even in quidditch, and she knows. i'm not captain, and i know." 

 

tzuyu hisses in pain. "well, i've been trying to keep up with my deadlines," she gestures to the mess that is her half-done essay. "will one of you tell me, before i decide that this bottle of ink looks better on your face?" 

 

they exchange a look. tzuyu wants to strangle them. it's always a big mood. sometimes she wonders how they'd even become friends - seeing as they were all from different houses, and were so, so different. chaeyoung with her brains, dahyun with her crazy, and tzuyu with her... ambition. maybe. 

 

"the beauxbatons quidditch team, dumbass." dahyun rolls her eyes. "they're here for the joint training, remember?"

 

"oh." oh. right.

 

sana'd probably told her about it. something about pretty girls and quidditch, tzuyu thinks. because sana only talks about pretty girls. they would be training with all four teams, as part of bettering inter-school ties, and a final official match with the recent champions - them. oh god.

 

"are they any good?" she asks. this is ridiculous. training, after the quidditch cup? they have newts, for fuck's sake. plus, weren't they just a bunch of stuck up snobs? like that stupid girl from the triwizard tournament a few years back who couldn't even disarm her opponent. "they're probably just a bunch of airheads, anyway." 

 

"oh honey," chaeyoung coos. "you have no idea." 

 

 

 

/

 

 

 

dinner is always a grand affair, because this school is too damn rich for its own good. nayeon and sana are bickering, again, and tzuyu just wants headmaster park to give his dinner address right there and then because her head  _hurts_. also, food.

 

he clears his throat. taps his spoon against the side of his goblet, and the great hall falls silent. tzuyu finds herself staring at the ceiling. at the floating candles - the fascination is never-ending, even after six years. the naive first-year she'd buried underneath responsibilities a long time ago always manages to find her way back out at times like this: with low blood-sugar levels, and a semi-conscious state of mind.

 

contrary to popular belief (read: dahyun and chaeyoung), growing a couple of inches taller didn't make the great hall seem less daunting, despite being 'closer to the ceiling', as dahyun put it. spending almost every day, for the past six years, here - it's always a sight to behold, and is something she holds dear to her heart.

 

she remembers the first christmas feast they had. remembers dahyun, chaeyoung and herself eating so much turkey they all got sick after. remembers puking her guts out. remembers how they ended up in the hospital wing for the whole weekend. the stories are infinite. each different, but familiar. it's home. 

 

then there's a nudge right at her ribs, and the pain snaps tzuyu out of it. sana is positively vibrating in her seat. she's pointing to the entrance. nayeon yells something she can't make out over the roar of the crowd. it's distracting at best, and tzuyu has no choice but to give in.

 

it's the beauxbatons quidditch team. they walk in like they own the place, blue robes swishing - tzuyu hates it. like how their noses are always in the air. all seven of them, with their backs ramrod straight. the perfect posture. she wonders what they feed their students with. to make all of them clones. maybe it's some sort of dark magic. she shudders.

 

"look!" nayeon's mouth is right at her ear. tzuyu doesn't even need to back away, because the volume's just right. "the purple-haired one, right at the front. apparently she's part veela." 

 

she turns. doesn't even bother questioning nayeon's knowledge. ignores sana's fingers digging into her arm. the light from the enchanted candles hits the girl's purple hair at the right angle, and it's striking. cascades down in perfect waves, complimenting her porcelain skin, and tzuyu thinks the girl might be glowing. it's ethereal. the others fade into the background.

 

maybe it's the veela thing, but she finds herself unable to look away. the air in her lungs disappear, and her mouth dries, because the girl is staring, right back at her. with her huge round eyes. and she winks.

 

tzuyu blinks. the magic fizzles out. she gets it together in time to close her mouth as the girl continues her strut forward, because drooling over girls is definitely something beneath her. she's chou tzuyu, a pureblooded slytherin, and is definitely classier than that. only now does she register sana's death grip on her arm, and yanks her hand away. nayeon squeals. they're screaming, because  _did you see that?_ and  _i can't believe she winked at you, chou tzuyu_ and tzuyu just wants to die.

 

she swallows. then looks up to see chaeyoung smirking right at her, all the way from the ravenclaw table. 

 

fuck.

 

 

 

/

 

 

 

as luck would have it, the beauxbatons quidditch team were going to be staying in their common room. something about extending their courtesy as the most recent house cup champions. nayeon has promised to swear off butterbeer for the next thirty days if sana bags one of them. sana accepts with no hesitation, and tzuyu wonders why she's friends with such snakes (right, they're slytherins). 

 

the common room is abuzz. they're at their usual spot, right by the fireplace. the training schedules are out, and they're due to play with the beauxbatons in three days. the perfectionist in tzuyu has gathered the team to discuss strategies despite the earlier sandbagging, because she's not about to lose to some unknown snobs when their pride is at stake.

 

"i think it's better to start defensive," sana pitches. "we've got to sound them out first, since we don't know how they usually play."

 

nayeon nods. tzuyu likes how they can go from joking to dead serious in the blink of an eye. it makes her proud. and happy. they talk formations. basic, and then what they're most familiar with - the home ground advantage would definitely help, and tzuyu goes on and on for awhile before she notices that sana's eyes are unfocused, and nayeon looks weirdly uncomfortable. they're looking at something over her shoulder - 

 

"are you listening?" she snaps, and the team instantly refocuses on her. tzuyu rolls her eyes. it's not like them to get distracted during meetings, and she's about to repeat whatever she's been saying for the past five minutes when there is a hand on her shoulder and -

 

"discussing strategies?" 

 

the air turns icy. slytherins are highly competitive in nature, and it's evident in the way she feels the team stiffen up. collectively. the voice is unfamiliar, and tzuyu just hopes to salazar that it's not who she thinks it is. 

 

she turns around. the girl's purple hair looks even softer under the dim light of the common room. there is the urge to run her fingers through it. tzuyu feels the magnetic pull sucking her in, and tears her eyes away with difficulty - the girl seems to notice, and blinks in response.

 

"y-yeah," tzuyu croaks. "uh, it's kind of private, so - "

 

the girl giggles. no one says anything. only now does tzuyu notice that she's in her sweatpants. the one with a burn mark at the left pant leg, courtesy of the trick wand she'd bought on a whim from the weasley's wizard wheezes, while the purple-haired girl is still all dolled up. the self-consciousness eats at her gut.

 

"i'm jihyo," she extends her hand. "park jihyo, captain of the beauxbatons quidditch team. it's nice to meet you." she smiles. 

 

she feels the ice melt. nayeon's shoulders loose some of it's tension. this jihyo person has eyes that twinkle with no abandon. it's infectious, and tzuyu feels her lips tug upwards of their own accord. she feels lighter. her body is suddenly on autopilot.

 

"chou tzuyu." she takes the offered hand. "slytherin captain."  

 

handshakes are telling. or rather, enough for an educated guess. jihyo's handshake is firm. just the right amount of pressure. borderline honesty, maybe. a willing introduction. dainty fingers, soft and smooth skin - high maintenance, no doubt. not far off from the stereotype, really. but it's genuine, and that's something tzuyu appreciates. 

 

park jihyo doesn't let go. continues staring right at her, oblivious to everyone and everything else - tzuyu is stuck between pulling away and doing nothing, because one: she is powerless to the magnetic pull, and two: handshakes shouldn't last more than three seconds. it's starting to feel more like a trap. her smile freezes.

 

but just when she's about to pull away (it's the enemy, for fuck's sake - what if her hands start corroding), she feels jihyo's fingers dig just slightly into the back of her hand - and then she's being hauled forward. right into the other girl's embrace. tzuyu thinks she feels lips against her left cheek, as the other girl tiptoes. there's a  _goodnight_ whispered right at her ear. maybe she stops breathing.

 

as quickly as it happens, it's gone - and all that's left is to stare at jihyo's retreating form. or rather, the sway of her hips. reality is unforgiving, in the form of nayeon's maniacal laughter. tzuyu tries her best to school her face into something presentable. 

 

"holy shit," nayeon wheezes. "she's wild." the mirth is reflected in sana's eyes, and tzuyu has never wanted to hex the both of them so badly. but detention is out of the question, and so she settles for whipping out her wand threateningly. 

 

"don't," she deadpans. points the eleven-inched ebony beauty right at nayeon, whose smile disappears for the entirety of one second. then resumes her high-pitched cackling. again.

 

tzuyu hates them all. 

 

 

 

/

 

 

 

she meets jeongyeon on the way to charms. it's a pleasant surprise. they're climbing the last set of stairs to the classroom when it decides to move. tzuyu blames it on the blonde. 

 

"it's all your fault," she jokingly accuses the other girl. "you have really bad luck, jeongyeon." then flops down, because it's going to be awhile. the stairs change every five minutes if you were lucky, and ten if you weren't. 

 

"it's  _your_ fault," jeongyeon pouts, sitting down. "if i hadn't bumped into you i'd actually be on time for once."

 

tzuyu laughs. reaches forward to adjust jeongyeon's tie, because jeongyeon never ties it properly. it's always lopsided, the red and gold making a statement tzuyu always ignores. 

 

"oh right," the blonde starts. "have you met the beauxbatons team? we trained with them yesterday." her lips quiver the slightest bit, and tzuyu sighs. gives the tie a final tug. then shoves jeongyeon away with a little more strength than necessary, because she's pretty sure nayeon had already told jeongyeon everything given the nature of their relationship. 

 

"i think you already know," she narrows her eyes. jeongyeon bursts out laughing, and tzuyu can only sulk, because jeongyeon is such a big softie and tzuyu knows she doesn't have it in herself to fight the other girl.

 

"but seriously," jeongyeon's voice turns serious. "they're good. we barely won by ten points, thanks to my lucky saves." 

 

tzuyu is a skeptic. but jeongyeon is reliable, and jeongyeon never sugarcoats, so maybe it's a fair warning. or the truth. 

 

"really?" tzuyu raises an eyebrow. "those airheads?" 

 

"believe me, i know." jeongyeon sighs. "we were caught off guard. they scored in the first five seconds. and their seeker? the purple-haired one? she's crazy good."

 

oh. 

 

"that's... new." she's taken aback. their training is in four hours, and tzuyu knows there's no time for a strategy change. they're going to have to improvise. fall back on their skills. it's unsettling.

 

but before she can go into full panic-mode, the stairs start moving. jeongyeon jumps up, pulling tzuyu along. the second bell rings, and it's enough to send both of them into a full sprint, because no one has time for detention, when you have newts.

 

she forgets about the game, in that moment, because they have approximately sixty seconds to get to class, and jeongyeon's laughter still rings in her ears when they settle into their seats.

 

 

 

/

 

 

 

tzuyu tugs on her gloves. it's frayed at the edges, but she doesn't care. it's snug. it's what got them to house cup, and she's a closet sentimental sap. the emerald is empowering. it's like the world, in the palm of her hands. literally.

 

sana pulls her into a hug. she smells of lavender. a respite tzuyu is thankful for. nayeon joins in, and soon it's a team huddle - their pre-game tradition. it's times like these she's thankful to the team, for following her despite her shoddy leadership. for their existence. 

 

six years, and the pre-game jitters still get to her. madam hooch releases the bludgers, and the snitch. yells for fair play, but no one is listening. reminds them that it's technically a training, and a friendly match. the quaffle is in her hands. tzuyu grips her firebolt tighter in an attempt to stop her hands from shaking.

 

the beauxbatons quidditch team stand in formation. they still have their noses in the air, and tzuyu accidentally makes eye contact with jihyo. her purple hair is still impeccable, and jeongyeon's words echo in her mind. she's smiling, but tzuyu thinks it's a facade. 

 

sure enough, when the quaffle is tossed into the air, jihyo's smile drops. they fly. the scuffle is real. tzuyu finally understands what jeongyeon means, when one of the beauxbatons chasers swoops in from nowhere and intercepts the quaffle effortlessly. their teamwork is flawless, and before she can blink the quaffle soars through their hoop, and they're zero to ten.

 

her shock is reflected in nayeon and sana's eyes. tzuyu'd told them earlier, about jeongyeon's warning, and they were cautious. but this? this is nothing like what jeongyeon said. she sees the resolve hardening in their eyes, and knows, trusts that they have to bring their a game. in other words, she has to catch the damn snitch. as soon as possible.

 

tzuyu watches. does her best to avoid bludgers, while keeping an eye out for jihyo. the half-veela is hovering near the stands, keeping her at a distance, and it's safe to say that none of them have spotted the snitch. the glint in her eyes throws tzuyu off guard, because it's nothing like the one back at the common room. it's hard. predatory. 

 

they're now twenty to ninety. the beauxbatons keeper is probably a god. she sees the frustration in her chasers, in the way their passes get sloppier. they're getting desperate. nayeon and sana are clobbing bludgers with terrifying accuracy. the only time tzuyu'd cracked a smile was when one of the beauxbatons chasers halted her pursuit of the quaffle because of a bludger sent by one im nayeon. 

 

then suddenly jihyo makes a sharp dive to the right. tzuyu is on high alert. she follows immediately, hot on the other girl's heels. the evening sun is not helping. she squints.

 

she sees it, finally. it's fast. zips around in random directions, unpredictable at best. puts all her effort into accelerating, legs locking around her firebolt. jihyo doesn't fall behind. the competition is real. 

 

but the snitch accelerates right to the ground. it's almost a ninety degree drop, the most dangerous maneuvers to ever be done. highest rate of injuries, and casualties. tzuyu side-eyes jihyo, who shows no sign of slowing down. what the hell. her hesitation costs her the lead, and jihyo pulls ahead. 

 

tzuyu grits her teeth. accelerates a second later, but it's not enough. she's one foot behind jihyo now, and goes as fast as she can - 

 

there is the familiar whizzing of the bludger. she spares it a glance. it's heading straight for her. but if she swerves now, jihyo's going to catch the snitch, and there is no way she's letting that happen. 

 

they approach the snitch. the ground is coming up at their faces. tzuyu sticks a hand out, and sees that jihyo is doing the same. five meters, four meters, three meters -

 

there is a loud crack. she hears it, over the roar of the wind. her left arm goes numb. the impact pushes her forward. it's enough to make her lose her balance, and she almost falls off her broom. it takes everything in her to not let go of her firebolt and start braking, because the battle is lost. she's not stupid enough to put all of her eggs in the same damn basket, when the basket already has a hole at the bottom. 

 

the pain sets in just when she touches the ground. someone's helping her onto the stretcher. the medics are on scene. tzuyu swats their hands away, craning her neck, ignoring the jolt of pain through her shoulder. the snitch is in jihyo's hand, obedient and still, and she's smiling. it's triumphant.

 

the pain explodes. jihyo's smile burns into the back of her eyelids. it's the last thing she remembers, before everything goes black. 

 

 

 

/

 

 

 

defeat is a bitter pill to swallow. 

 

nayeon sighs. the hospital wing is silent, save for the humming of the fan. madam pomfrey had kicked the entire team out, save for her, only because her accident-prone ass has made her a regular. visiting hours were long over.

 

it's a broken shoulder. nothing some skele-gro can't fix, but the damage is already done. tzuyu looks impossibly small in the hospital bed. she'd woken up earlier to eat, and nayeon's not sure what to do about the empty look she'd saw in tzuyu's eyes.

 

"hey."

 

she jumps. her wand is out, defensive. finds herself face to face with jeongyeon, who has both hands up. "it's just me, babe."

 

nayeon visibly relaxes. pockets her wand, and lets herself melt in jeongyeon's embrace. the only place she lowers her guard. "i missed you," she murmurs, into the pale column of jeongyeon's neck. there's a hand on her head, stroking soft comfort, and she feels her worries dissipating. 

 

"what happened?" jeongyeon asks. kisses her hair. "dahyun called it world war z."

 

she snorts. "of course she would say that." breaks the embrace only to push jeongyeon down into the bedside chair, and settles on her lap. "you should have seen her, jeong. she risked herself for the snitch. it was crazy."

 

nayeon take a deep breath. "i mean, she saw the bludger going straight for her, and didn't avoid it because that would mean that the other seeker would catch the snitch." 

 

jeongyeon hums. nayeon's eyes are shifty. there's more, and jeongyeon knows nayeon well enough to know that it's only a matter of time before the dam breaks. so she waits, rubbing circles into the other girl's arm.

 

"i - i saw it, you know. sana and i," nayeon continues. her voice wavers. "how the beauxbatons beater went for her. sana was screaming. we - i - i could have - "

 

"could have what?" jeongyeon cuts in. "stopped it? it's not your fault. it's no one's fault." she thumbs away a stray tear. "things happen. she made a decision, and there's that. besides, tzuyu's okay now, right?" 

 

nayeon sniffles an acknowledgement, and jeongyeon cringes. "you're really ugly when you cry." then cries out in faux pain when nayeon thumps her back painfully. the audacity. 

 

but then jeongyeon is smiling and it's all sunshine, and nayeon feels the cavity in her chest close. as annoying as she is, yoo jeongyeon is still her favourite person. she kisses the blonde girl's cheek, because she doesn't want to think about what she'd do if they'd never met. if she hadn't sat next to this stupid short haired girl on the hogwarts express, who ate all of her chocolate frogs that day and made her cry, and spent the next two weeks sitting beside her during lunch just to make up for it.

 

"let's go," jeongyeon whispers. "it's getting late. don't you have classes tomorrow?" she tugs on nayeon's hand, but the girl refuses to move. it's the guilt. at this point, there isn't anything else she can do, so jeongyeon can only put on her cutest baby voice and does her best to convince the other girl to leave. keeping vigil would only cause nayeon to spiral, and there is no way jeongyeon would let that happen under her watch.

 

it works. nayeon bends to kiss tzuyu goodbye, and jeongyeon does the same. whispers promises to visit again tomorrow, after giving the blanket a final tuck. their fingers tangle, and she lets herself be led out of the hospital wing, only to stop short at the entrance - there's a silhouette she doesn't want to deal with right now. 

 

"you're still here?" nayeon is disbelieving. the purple-haired girl turns around. jeongyeon raises her eyebrows. 

 

jihyo nods. "please let me see her." she's begging. the night always brings out the most desperate sides of people. or rather, the truest ones. "i have to see her, even if she doesn't want to see me."

 

there's the briefest flash of lightning, and nayeon thinks she catches a glimpse of the cracks in jihyo's eyes. something is threatening to overflow, and a part of her is ashamed of herself for denying jihyo entry. but tzuyu had taken one look at jihyo and asked her to get out, and there wasn't really anything nayeon could do. 

 

she sighs. suddenly there's flashbacks to the game, when she'd witnessed tzuyu's legs give out the moment she landed on the ground. remembers how jihyo had tried to approach an unconscious tzuyu on the stretcher, but was obviously blocked by their team. she doesn't remember the details, but somehow sana's rational thinking had convinced the team that it was ridiculous to put the blame on the opposing team, and they'd caved. only to be proven otherwise by chou tzuyu herself. 

 

"go," she nods. jeongyeon squeezes her hand. 

 

there is a pause, before jihyo's eyes widen. "thank you," she says. it's sincere. "thank you so much."

 

she bows, and even in the dim lighting nayeon feels the full impact of the half-veela's smile. but it lasts for only a second, before the purple-haired girl rushes inside, and nayeon is left to stare blankly at the wall.

 

"wow," is all jeongyeon says. "she's hot." 

 

nayeon makes sure to dig her heels into jeongyeon's foot on her way out. the resulting yell she gets is satisfying.  

 

 

 

/

 

 

"you can't avoid her forever, you know."

 

tzuyu jumps. then glares at sana, who's currently perched on her bench like it's her home. technically, it might be, since the minatozakis were (are still) notorious potion masters, and the dungeons were where they thrived. just like the chous, but with different specialities. last she checked, she was sitting all alone, trying to finish up her veritaserum as quickly as possible. potions is always a bore, because really, all there is to it is to chop up ingredients, and brew it - how difficult can it get? 

 

"stop creeping up on me. i'm busy." she stirs her cauldron. the mixture is a clear liquid, and tzuyu thinks she's going to be done in another five minutes. professor lee has given up on watching her and sana a long time ago, because they never fail to top his class, and sana always sweet talks him into letting them go early. 

 

"it's almost a week, tzuyu. you know it's not her fault." sana snatches the ladle out of her hands, and tzuyu is forced to stare at her own reflection in the cauldron. 

 

a week. a week, since the modern day apocalypse, as dahyun had called it. it's her third day after being given the all clear by madam pomfrey, and her shoulder is as good as new. there were some scratches on her firebolt she'd already polished off, but the incision on her pride is deep and still hurting. 

 

"for the record, momo tells me jihyo scolded them right after they brought you off the field. when she had no reason to," sana continues. then looks around conspicuously, before pulling a small vial out of her pocket. tzuyu doesn't bat an eyelash.

 

"who's momo?" she asks, frowning. raises her hand to call the professor over, and takes pleasure in the way sana panics. just a little. hides the vial in the sleeves of her robes. he gives her a nod of approval, and that's it. she's done. the rest of the class is still struggling, and only in advanced potions is tzuyu thankful for her bloodline. 

 

someone yells. there's a horrid stench. tzuyu spares the commotion a glance - some gryffindor boy had knocked over his cauldron, and professor lee rushes over. sana makes use of this window to dip the vial in her cauldron. tzuyu rolls her eyes.

 

"momo? oh, my new girlfriend," sana pockets the vial. "the beauxbatons keeper?" 

 

tzuyu stops short, in the middle of packing. gets a good look at sana, and thinks about hexing the smugness off her face. what a little shit. 

 

"wait. the god-like one?" she slaps her textbook shut. "oh my god." then huffs when sana's face explodes into a shit-eating grin.

 

"yeah. turns out she's god-like in bed, too." sana laughs. again, tzuyu considers hexing sana, and leaving her body here right in the dungeons. 

 

"gross. i can't believe you're fraternising with the enemy." she picks up her book bag. "whatever happened to loyalty?" 

 

sana blocks her path. "don't you dare question my loyalty, chou." tzuyu finds herself staring right back at sana's finger. "it's a friendly match, and so what if we lost? your shoulder's definitely more important than some stupid game. besides, like i said: jihyo scolded the team for playing rough. for you."

 

suddenly her tongue feels heavy. she doesn't trust her mouth. her brain processes the words sana said, and it's stuck in her head. in a loop. what the hell. 

 

"we're supposed to learn from each other. different playing styles. exposure, or something. you made a decision, and you got hurt. it's no one's fault but yours. so get over it." sana spits. the venom burns. "the next training's in two days. get your shit together. talk to jihyo. you have a team to lead,  _captain_."

 

the emphasis on the last word makes her shame increase tenfold, and really. she should have known. sana pushes past her, shoulders knocking painfully.

 

tzuyu swallows.


	2. tattoo your name across my heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "here's the thing," nayeon begins. "they like each other. but they don't know it's mutual." she waves her hands around, almost hitting jeongyeon in the face. "we have to do something. i can't stand watching this melodrama nonsense happen anymore."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> after a longggg wait its finally here... i hope i dont disappoint x

the room is silent. sana doesn't think she has it in her to get out of bed today. not when the body beside hers is soft and warm. the weight on her chest is comforting. she'd spent the whole of last night trying to memorise the dip in momo's hips, and has come to a conclusion: that everyone from beauxbatons has a body carved by the old gods.

 

then there's a soft thump. the drapes are yanked open, and there's a loud shriek. sana opens her eyes.

"what the hell, sana!" nayeon shields her eyes. then recovers, within the second, because this isn't anything new. sighs, because it looks like she won't be drinking butterbeer for the next thirty days. her eyes get side-tracked by the other girl in sana's bed, because her legs are full on display, and the emerald sheets stop right at the top of her thighs -

"stop staring at my girlfriend, bitch." sana glares. sticks her arm under her pillow. "i'm telling jeongyeon." nayeon blinks, only to see a wand pointed right at her nose, and she raises her hands up in defeat. 

 

"we have transfiguration in ten minutes," nayeon tries her best not to roll her eyes. "so if you'd kindly get up and get  _dressed_ i'd be happy to show myself out." then gestures toward the door. 

sana's reaction is instantaneous. she jumps out of bed, naked as day, and starts digging around. nayeon doesn't even flinch - six years of witnessing the other girl's unintentional (intentional) exhibitionism is sufficient conditioning - she takes this as her cue to leave, especially when the girl in sana's bed lets out a whine that sounds dangerously close to a moan.

thank salazar they were the only two people sharing this room, because sana's inclination to walk around naked could very potentially result in some form of emotional trauma. permanent scarring, especially amongst the first-years. like her younger self.

it's a joke, really. two people living in a space meant for five - sana is always thankful to nayeon for the extra room. she vaguely remembers a fourth-year nayeon indirectly kicking the rest of their roommates out nicely. politely, even, when she'd complained about not having enough closet space. there was some story going around about her trying to make a horcrux out of her bed so a part of her could always be sleeping, and they were out even before sana could say goodbye. hilarious.

of course, this wouldn't have made any sense if it came from any other witch, but from im nayeon - a descendant of the im's, who were rumoured to have been involved with the dark lord - it weighs. sana knows,  _knows_  that nayeon is capable of doing it: actually making a horcrux. engaging in the dark arts. being a death eater, or whatever it is they call it nowadays, after the fall of the dark lord. she remembers the glint in her eyes when they'd walked past the restricted section in the library. but it's the choice not to do it that makes nayeon different from her lineage. or what it used to be. 

bloodlines are heavy to carry. but sana knows nayeon and nayeon knows sana, and that's all that matters.

"i'll see you later," she makes sure to kiss momo soundly on her forehead, and forces herself to leave the room before momo can change her mind. momo whines, again, and sana hardens her will - when did she get so responsible? all for her team. 

her team. their team. she passes by tzuyu's bed three rooms down - it's empty. 

she sighs.

/

 

chaeyoung thinks tzuyu can be really stupid.

 

like now. like how she's talking to dahyun about corn. about how much calories a serving of corn is, and really, since when does chou tzuyu care about calorie intake? she herself'd lost track of the conversation long ago, because it's so, so obvious that the stupid girl's doing anything she possibly could to avoid the gaze of that purple haired veela. who just so happened to be sitting on the other side of the table, with the other beauxbatons girls.  

 

thank god tzuyu wasn't sorted into ravenclaw. it would be the greatest insult ever, period. 

 

dahyun plays along, like a good friend she is. cracks jokes, and carries the conversation effortlessly, but chaeyoung sees how her eyes flicker to jihyo's unyielding stare and - 

 

"okay, is no one going to talk about how park jihyo has been looking over for the past hour?" nayeon grumbles. pushes her beans aside, and chaeyoung silently thanks the older girl for the much needed intervention. 

 

tzuyu stops mid-sentence. "well, maybe she's decided i'm easy on the eyes." 

 

someone snorts. chaeyoung fights the urge to roll her eyes. step one of denial, in chou tzuyu fashion: unwarranted sarcasm. 

 

nayeon only laughs. "i take it you haven't talked to her?" 

 

tzuyu sighs. downs her pumpkin juice in one shot, and slams her goblet. mutters a soft  _not yet_ before leaving the table in a hurry. what a coward. 

 

"you shouldn't have done that," jeongyeon tuts. "she's obviously not ready - "

 

"ready? it's been  _forever,_ and training's in two hours, jeong," nayeon deadpans. chaeyoung's about to jump in to defend nayeon when there's a painful nudge at her ribs, and dahyun's looking at her intensely. was she missing something?

 

then dahyun looks (not so subtly) to the left, where park jihyo was seated, and chaeyoung sees it: how the half-veela excuses herself and leaves the table, eyes never once leaving tzuyu's retreating figure -

 

oh.

 

 

 

/

 

 

 

the owlery is always tzuyu's favourite. because one, she loves animals, and two, gucci's always happy to see her. it's mutual. it's her safe haven. 

 

gucci hoots loudly at her arrival, pristine white feathers shedding as he lands gracefully on her wrist. it's instantaneous, the way tzuyu feels her unfounded anger dissipating. the tension seeps out of her shoulders. she finds herself smiling, because gucci is looking at her like he  _knows_ , and maybe he really does. really. there was no one more loyal than gucci, anyway. 

 

"not you too," she shakes her head. digs in her back pocket for leftover treats. gucci hoots again in excitement, and tzuyu can only laugh. it's comforting. reassuring, and what she needs to stop thinking about the stupid purple-haired veela girl.

 

the guilt snowballs. she doesn't get it either. like, all she has to do is to talk to jihyo. open her mouth, and say something. are apologies in order? tzuyu doesn't know. but her pride is something that always, always gets in the way of things. and she hates it.

 

two hours. she considers her options. fight or flight. gucci has moved to perch on her shoulder, the extra weight giving her warmth tzuyu craves the most. strength. this is ridiculous. it's not like she's about to go to war. it's just a conversation. friendly. only she hopes she doesn't get lost in the veela magic shenanigans -

 

there is a crash. maybe a muffled yelp. gucci squawks, flying towards the door. tzuyu turns around just in time to see the door closing. and a flash of... purple?

 

okay, this is getting out of hand. her sanity is at stake. hallucination is out of the question. she's not going to be a coward.

 

"okay," tzuyu says. out loud. "okay." she's a chou, for fuck's sake. enough is enough.

 

gucci hoots loudly in agreement. 

 

 

/

momo thinks she doesn't understand jihyo. sometimes.

like now. like the words coming out of the purple-haired girl's mouth. what nonsense she's saying. momo's sure her own frown is reflective of everyone else's, too. this would be much easier if she didn't understand english. maybe jihyo's veela side malfunctioned, or something. bewitched her own brain to spout rubbish.

"tone it down?" jennie snarks. "you've got to be joking. we play best when we're aggressive, so why change?" 

the team is, well, in disarray. of the best kind. like, different opinions. keeping leadership in check. team politics, in the form of one kim jennie, who always tries to pick a fight with everyone on the team. regardless. 

"well," jihyo starts, "it's a friendly match, so i don't really see the need to go all out." she laces her boots. "plus, why do we have to play so hard? it's not like there's anything to benefit from this."

momo watches as jennie's eyebrow twitches. jihyo has officially gone off the rails. probably because of the slytherin seeker who got injured that day. the one who looked like an elf. who also happened to be sana's friend. it's unlike jihyo to let someone get under her skin, so this was definitely something... interesting. also, ridiculous.

"i don't know about you, but i'd rather play at my best so that i can improve," jennie makes sure to look jihyo in the eye. "that's what this is all about, isn't it? learning." takes a step closer to a crouching jihyo, who narrows her eyes dangerously. 

there is silence. momo and the others have long gotten used to this. 'this', meaning the unnecessary drama that comes naturally with a team full of headstrong girls. but this time, jennie is actually making sense, and really, jihyo's rational thinking has gone to shit. 

"cat got your tongue?" jennie presses. then laughs. "who knew you'd let that slytherin girl get your panties in a knot."

momo holds her breath. she could do with some popcorn, now that the air in the locker room has turned cold. then is thankful she didn't blink, because she's pretty sure she's never seen anyone pull out a wand that quickly. jihyo's eyes harden, jennie's eyes widen in shock, because wands weren't  _technically_  allowed in the locker rooms, and then -

what the fuck. she blinks. once, twice, but it's still there. it really happened. at where jennie was last seen standing, was a huge... rat. 

it takes everything in her not to burst out laughing right there and then. god, she loves beauxbatons. always feeding her with so much drama. and also, girls. 

/

mina crosses her arms. it's been awhile since she had to deal with er, teenage angst. or whatever this was.

honestly, when they'd asked her to coach - this was the last thing she'd expected. having to counsel (was this even counselling?) kids about teamwork, fair play - she's definitely asking headmistress maxime to pay her extra. kids are exhausting. playing in the quidditch world cup was a hundred times more exciting. too bad it was off season, and well, coaching was an obligation. somewhat.

"i'm not going to give you detention, or anything," mina says, arms crossed. "i just want to know what exactly possessed you to transfigure jennie into a rat. right before practice." 

the locker room is again, silent. save for jennie's angry breathing. mina'd kicked the rest of the team out to do drills, together with the slytherin team (it's her turn to coach today), after she'd walked in to check in on them and saw the other girls being chased by a rat. it didn't help the sudden panic bile rising up her throat when she'd only counted six girls. thank god she used to pay attention in transfiguration.

jihyo remains impassive. jennie's face only gets redder by the second, so mina decides to send her out (because there was no point, and it was kinda obvious that the other girl had riled jennie up) for good. coaches aren't supposed to have favourites, but mina doesn't consider herself one, and jihyo's just way too adorable. also, seeker and captain? she would be lying if the other girl didn't remind herself of when she was younger. 

"hey," she softens. bends down just a little to look at jihyo. "what's up with you? you never pick fights with people, no matter how angry they make you." 

the storm in jihyo's eyes calm down. mina thinks she's getting there. just a little more, maybe. to satisfy her unending curiosity, and also to do her part as a coach. mentor, more like. team spirit is everything, as per her own experience, and she makes sure to drill it into the girls before any of them does something stupid. like she herself once did. 

"we just had some differences, that's all." jihyo squares her shoulders. "it's nothing much, coach. i'm sorry for the trouble." 

what a pity. her walls were back in place and mina can only sigh. there's really nothing much she can do if jihyo doesn't want to share -

the locker room door bursts open. they both jump at the sudden intrusion. at the entrance is a slightly out of breath slytherin girl mina barely recognises. her eyes spot the shiny captain badge right above the emerald crest and raises her eyebrows curiously, because it's unlike students to barge in with no reason, especially into the other team's locker room.

"i'm sorry," the girl bows. "i - i just wanted to check in on jihyo. i didn't know you were here, ma'am."

oh. mina turns back to look at jihyo. whose eyes look like they're about to pop out of their sockets. the purple haired girl blinks, before schooling her face into something neutral. defensive, maybe. all prim and proper. perfectly packaged.

"i'll be leaving, ma'am." the slytherin captain bows again, before leaving in a hurry. mina doesn't miss the way she wrings her hands. it's erratic. as though in worry. worry?

"coach," jihyo clears her throat. "if there's nothing more, i'd like to return to training." 

it's not mina's style to butt into the team's personal affairs, despite jihyo being her favourite. so she settles for nodding, and watches jihyo walk out onto the field. then chuckles softly to herself, because it wasn't that difficult, putting two and two together. 

kids these days. 

/

the evening sun is purple. or, that's what tzuyu tries to tell herself, when it's all she can see when jihyo corners her on the field. after the training session, which was surprisingly, fun - when you get coached by the world number one chaser myoui mina, of course.

then there's the stupid urge to tangle her fingers in jihyo's hair because it looks so soft, and the purple has got to be some kind of magical dye, because it's enthralling and makes her wobbly in the knees and she can't stop staring -

"i'm sorry," jihyo says. "it's the veela thing, you know. i've been trying to learn to control it."

the timbre in her voice is what shakes tzuyu back into reality. she refocuses on the girl in front of her, trying to shake of the tingling in her fingertips, and tries to gather her thoughts. digs her firebolt into her right boot to anchor her, because this is it. time to grow up, maybe. 

"this is weird," she ends up saying. then sees sana giving her  _the look_ from all the way at the other end and thinks about burning a hole in her socks. it's just them on the field, because nayeon had been going around telling everyone about the bi-weekly friday feast, and her great adventure of sneaking into the kitchen earlier this morning to find out the menu. so of course they'd been hyped up enough to make a mad rush for the great hall, and tzuyu's not sure if she's thankful for the man-made (girl-made) opportunity.

"i'm sorry, too." tzuyu thinks she has leveled up. in terms of courage. "for avoiding you. and the uh, thing at the hospital wing. i have... pride issues." 

wow. oversharing on the field. this is something new. every muscle in her body screams at her to  _run._ it wouldn't be that difficult to just mount her firebolt and go, would it? because her face is already starting to heat up in embarrassment. but then jihyo smiles, and tzuyu finds herself unable to form a coherent thought.

"it's okay." jihyo laughs, and the ball of nerves inside tzuyu melts. disappears altogether. she returns the smile, because jihyo is radiating happiness, and finally sees how ridiculous the whole situation was. someone needs to give her an award for being the dumbass of the year or something. maybe she'd make it into the hall of fame (shame).

then jihyo stretches out her hand. palm up, inviting. a truce, or something. new beginnings. together with her trademark smile, which tzuyu will come to learn later - that always reduces her to a useless open-mouthed staring mess. 

"dinner?" she gestures to the great hall. looks at tzuyu, and once again tzuyu finds the air in her lungs slowly disappearing, because jihyo's eyes are dancing with so much life and are probably stars of their own. capable of lighting up a whole other city, maybe. there is an innocence in them that brings out the naive first-year in her. the girl whose day would be made when there was liquorice candy for dessert. 

so tzuyu takes her hand. gives in to the first-year fighting to come out. then pulls jihyo along, as she breaks into a run towards the great hall. thinks of her favourite mashed potatoes and gravy, and the purple haired girl running alongside her, with a smile she's sure has already been imprinted behind her eyelids. 

/

whoever put in place this whole 'password' system is a fucking idiot, sana thinks. or maybe, a genius, who just happened to overlook the fact that sometimes the workload in this crazy school might be too much for people (her) to keep up with the constant changing of passwords. 

"salazaar!" she half-shouts. it's too quiet to be shouting at this time of the night. the wall still hasn't budged, and at this point sana seriously contemplates sleeping here. on the concrete floor, right outside the dungeons, because everyone's probably asleep and she didn't tell anyone to wait for her. momo's surely asleep, nayeon and tzuyu too, and sana just wants to slap herself. she'd forgotten it was the beginning of a fortnight, and forgot to check the new password before leaving this morning.

"parselmouth. no?" sana dumps her book bag on the ground. her shoulders hurt. "basilisks. basilisk. single, not plural. the bloody baron. what the actual fuck." the humidity is making it a little hard to breathe. or maybe, it was her panicking. she sighs. "chains. blood. pureblood. mudblood. felix felicis - " 

"beauxbatons." a voice cuts in. it has a melodic tilt to it, which surprisingly, doesn't make sana swoon. jihyo smiles, and the wall moves.

"thanks, but really? beauxbatons?" sana rolls her eyes. "there's literally so many other words in the english language to choose from." then picks up her book bag.

jihyo only laughs. then shrugs. falls into step beside sana, as they walk down the stairs leading to the common room, with sana stomping her way down.

"well, 'beauxbatons' is french." the purple-haired girl says. sana glares, then pouts, because she's just hungry and tired and cranky. the emerald lights loosens the knots in her temples. and for a moment she stops thinking about the two divination essays she has to finish in two days. 

"so i heard you transfigured one of your chasers yesterday," sana raises an eyebrow. it was all she could think about last night, after word had gotten around (momo) and sana wouldn't be lying if she said it didn't make her respect the half-veela a little more. 

jihyo nods. "yeah. she was being a total bitch - " 

"because she talked shit about tzuyu?" sana asks. then watches as jihyo freezes for maybe a second, before she narrows her eyes. 

"and how would you know that?" 

sana smiles. it's dripping saccharine. pats jihyo on the shoulder as they reach the entrance of her room. the one, with a huge cross burnt into the wooden door, because nayeon likes to mark her territory. 

"momo and i are dating." she pushes the room door open quietly. then looks back at the half-veela, who is staring at her like she'd grown another head or something. 

"don't worry," her voice drops to a whisper. "i'm not telling tzuyu about it." then kicks off her shoes. "also, tzuyu's room is over there, if you're interested." sana points to the room three doors down. "her roommate's going to be away for the weekend, so you can make plans." she winks. jihyo's face has turned a whole other shade of red, and sana wills herself to commit this to memory, before shutting the door.

a flustered veela? chou tzuyu has got to be something else, really. 

/

jeongyeon stares. it's not her fault, really, that charms is boring as heck. it's not like she's supposed to charm her way into getting a career at the auror's office or something. 

also, whatever that was happening right in front of her was  _way_ more interesting. 'whatever', being chou tzuyu, stone cold pureblood slytherin, and the mesmerizing half-veela, giggling. in their seats. right in front of the professor, who     is currently too busy talking to himself to notice that half of his students aren't paying any attention. at all.

when nayeon had first told her that tzuyu and that veela girl were 'getting closer', it was more of a  _finally, no more awkward avoiding_ and  _that's nice, the two captains getting to know one another better_ because that was the whole purpose of the inter-school exchange, right? 

but giggling? chou tzuyu never giggles. what the heck. jeongyeon is so shook, because the only other time she remembers tzuyu smiling this widely was when she was at the owlery. whenever gucci brought stuff from home, or something. letters from mrs chou herself. 

she's stuck sitting alone today, because chou tzuyu decided to abandon her. and instead, chose to sit with the half-veela. all cozy and snug. looks like it's hoes before bros. the betrayal hurts, until professor flitwick turns around all of a sudden and throws his chalk at the student seated right in front. who, just so happens to be chou tzuyu. 

"you think my lesson is a joke?!"

jeongyeon tries her best not to laugh at all the white chalk powder on tzuyu's face. 

/

tzuyu takes a deep breath. gives the laces of her boots one final tug, before standing up. the roar of the crowd only serves to fuel her adrenaline. it's the final game with the beauxbatons girls, and her chest feels weirdly tight. maybe it's the nerves. maybe it's the bagel nayeon had forced her to eat at wandpoint, because they all need the energy.

madam hooch yells at them to shake hands. the captains, of both teams. she looks at jihyo, who walks up to meet her in the center of the field. who has already hardened her gaze. it's what tzuyu recognises as the half-veela's 'game-face', but she swears she sees it soften for one second - when the corners of her eyes crinkle just slightly - 

and then it's gone. there's only the gloved hand in front of her. so she takes it. 

jihyo's grip is strong. hard, firm, just like their very first handshake. but tzuyu now knows that it's capable of being soft. like all the other times they've held hands. she doesn't think she understands how something as simple as jihyo touching her makes her heart double in size and face on the verge of exploding -

"good luck," jihyo says. then swipes her thumb across the back of tzuyu's hand and tzuyu thinks it's  _ridiculous_  that she can even feel it. through their thick gloves. maybe she's hallucinating again. 

then madam hooch thumps both of them on their backs. yells for fair play like she always does. they go back to their respective positions. she glances back briefly. the team is in formation. tzuyu breathes in - it smells like victory. she feels their desire to win pumping through her veins, and prays she doesn't disappoint. not again.

the snitch is released. tzuyu watches it disappear right in front of her eyes, like it always does. the bludgers jump out at a terrifying speed. she grips her firebolt in anticipation - the quaffle is tossed into the air. the crowd roars again, but tzuyu tunes it out in favour of focusing on her peripheral vision. one of their chasers managed to catch the quaffle mid-air, and her chest swells in pride. first blood, maybe. she watches as they approach the hoops -

but the beauxbatons keeper catches it. sana's girlfriend. momo, or something. it's like she can read their minds, according to their own keeper who told her about what he learnt during the previous training session. she sees the way their chaser's jaw tightens, and clenches her fist. second place is not an option. she has to catch the damn snitch, before jihyo does.

nayeon and sana are swinging their bats with reckless abandon. it's always a mystery, how the both of them can go from absolute klutz to fluid coordination. their teamwork is so smooth, and she's always thankful to the both of them for waking up early enough for tryouts two years ago. tzuyu swallows a giggle when she sees one of the beauxbatons chasers being forced into a corner because of two bludgers heading her way, and ends up dropping the quaffle. the one that looks like a cat. 

something whizzes by and she turns instinctively, avoiding the bludger sent her way. then returns her attention to the game, only to find jihyo staring at her from across the field. her gaze is unwavering, purple hair still as it was this morning, and tzuyu knows she can't afford to get distracted now -

the whistle blows. they're neck and neck now, with the beauxbatons girls leading by thirty points. their chasers are tightening their formation, and tzuyu reminds herself to focus. she's proud. they've become more aggressive, and it seems to be working. 

and then she sees it. the golden glint, right by nayeon's boots. 

tzuyu kicks off. accelerates with everything she has. her pride, her greed for victory, her duty to her team. there is no room for failure. second place is not an option. the wind in her face only serves as a reminder to catch the damn snitch before jihyo does. 

she feels jihyo's presence behind her. the crowd roars, because the chase for the snitch is always the highlight of the game. well, for most of the time anyway, if both seekers were decent. and tzuyu's pretty sure they're more than decent. they're good. which makes things even more difficult, when she tries to shake jihyo off.

the snitch suddenly flies towards the right. tzuyu turns accordingly, trying not to brake as much as possible. but jihyo is not braking either, and there is the possibility of her bumping into jihyo. maybe slightly. she side-eyes the other girl, who shows no intention of slowing down - and decides to throw caution to the wind. fuck it. it's all or nothing. 

her shoulder is one meter away from jihyo's. she presses forward, eyes on nothing but the snitch that's just ahead of them. they're close enough to catch it, and tzuyu briefly contemplates flinging herself off her firebolt just to catch it. if harry potter himself survived, what's to say that she won't, right?

it's three meters away now. tzuyu stretches out her gloved arm. aligns her body as close to her firebolt as possible. ignores the other blue gloved arm right in her peripheral (that strangely, seemed further away than it was before).

two meters, one meter -

her fingers close on solid metal. her heart is in her mouth. the crowd explodes into screams, and tzuyu barely hears the whistle blowing. she feels the snitch stilling, knowing it's been caught. the game is over. 

she brakes. nayeon and sana are beside her in an instant. she opens her palm, and there it is - the snitch glinting in the sunlight. ever so obedient. one of their chasers slaps her on the back and finally, it hits her: they won. she finally smiles. 

then they're on the ground, dismounting from their brooms. the commentator announces the winning team. madam hooch is already chasing them off the field. she's surrounded by her team and they're doing their victory dance, jumping around like idiots. idiots she will always be thankful to. 

but sana clears her throat, and pulls a still screaming nayeon away from their group hug. ushers the rest of the team back into the locker room, and tzuyu is left all alone on the field. with a very, very familiar half-veela smiling up at her like the beauxbatons won. or something. 

"good game," jihyo says. "i'm happy for you. i really am."

tzuyu thinks her legs might give out any moment. hates herself again for being so weak. weak, and stupidly succeptible to jihyo's veela magic, because that's the only possible reason she was turning into jelly. because talking to pretty girls was never her forte. 

"good game," she manages to get the words out before anything else happens. it's embarrassing, when she feels her face heating up when jihyo's fingers close around her wrist. there's suddenly a flash of purple in her vision. tzuyu freezes, because she's all up in jihyo's very, very personal space and jihyo smells like grass and sweat and grapes and her throat goes dry -

"i'll see you back in the common room?" the warmth from the hug disappears as quickly as it had happened. jihyo's already waving, walking back towards the other locker room and tzuyu is once again left to do nothing but stare at the almost hypnotising sway of jihyo's hips. oh god. 

she shakes herself out of her stupor. reminds herself of the post-game debrief, and wills her feet to move. fuck. 

/

"here's the thing," nayeon begins. "they like each other. but they don't know it's mutual." she waves her hands around, almost hitting jeongyeon in the face. "we  _have_ to do something. i can't stand watching this melodrama nonsense happen anymore."

sana laughs. then swats momo's grabby hands away from her chest. they're all huddled up on the floor of nayeon and sana's room with sana in momo's lap, waiting for tzuyu and jihyo to be back from some meeting. the beauxbatons girls are leaving in two days, and sana's trying her best not to think about it. about momo leaving. then it's back to the daily grind. 

she looks to her stash of firewhiskey. maybe it'll be enough to soothe the impending heartbreak. maybe not. then spots her personal collection of potions. a box of vials. it's something she'd unknowingly made a habit of. keeping little vials of whatever potions they'd brewed in class. something like a keepsake. sana opens it, and spots the vial right at the top - tzuyu's veritaserum. 

oh. this is good karma, indeed. sana can't help the smile that stretches across her own face. what a genius.

"i have an idea!" she holds up the vial triumphantly. then looks to nayeon. "i'm waiving your thirty day butterbeer ban for this. you owe me."

/

the common room is a mess. nayeon feels like she's on fire. she loves her team. she loves quidditch. she loves each, and every single member of the slytherin quidditch team. also, the beauxbatons, who are actually really nice. and fun to talk to. and also, smoking hot. her friends, too.

"maybe you should slow down," jeongyeon says, pulling the bottle out of her hands. "you're going to have a real bad hangover at this rate."

there's a curse word right at the tip of her tongue. alcohol always makes her words sharper than ever. because the one thing she hates: being told what to do. especially since she's lived her whole life by her parent's rule. but jeongyeon tilts her head to kiss her softly, all velvet and tender, and nayeon loses all the fight in herself. 

someone wolf-whistles. nayeon breaks the kiss to flip them off. it's sana, to no one's surprise, and momo's draped over her back. they've yet to leave each other since they've stepped into the common room. maybe it's the alcohol, maybe it's how well she knows sana, but nayeon thinks she sees something else in sana's eyes. something chipping away. she blinks. 

"ready?" sana asks, bottle of firewhiskey in hand. she yells for chaeyoung and dahyun, who won't top flirting with that beauxbatons chaser. the one that looks like a cat. they'd filled the both of them in on their plan, and of course they were on board. at this point, anything would be better than seeing tzuyu and jihyo dance around each other like the idiots they were (are). all six of them exchange looks, and nayeon feels the excitement building - it was going to be a wild night. after all, it was sana's grand plan - just like all the other crazy parties she'd put together - nayeon had taken it upon herself to make sure everyone else stayed in their rooms: exclusivity is key. 

momo snaps her fingers. calls everyone over for a game of truth or dare. nayeon doesn't miss the way tzuyu's eyes flicker over to jihyo, who just so happens to be seated right opposite her. with her beauxbatons team. who also, like tzuyu, hasn't stopped smiling since she'd stepped in. 

tzuyu is adorable. nayeon remembers how they'd welcomed both captains back into the common room with a thunderous applause. coerced tzuyu into giving a speech after jihyo gave hers, and she's pretty sure sana and herself would have died laughing at the way tzuyu blushed when jihyo hugged her in front of everyone, if not for jeongyeon elbowing them painfully. something about it being an 'honour' to play with the beauxbatons girls.

that was phase one. sana had handed both of them firewhiskeys spiked with tzuyu's very own veritaserum, and nayeon had called for a toast. and there was that. with the both of them slightly tipsy, it was perfect for phase two. 

"i'll start." nayeon says. spins the empty bottle in the middle of the circle, until it lands on sana. perfect.

"truth or dare?" 

sana smirks. "dare, of course." then raises an eyebrow, asking for a challenge. it's always a challenge. the familiar rush of adrenaline makes nayeon a little light-headed. it awakens the competitiveness inside of her - and she answers. besides, jeongyeon and her had their own hypothesis to test out, which involved her very own ninja skills. stealing the vial of veritaserum right under sana's nose? her father must be proud. 

"i dare you to kiss me." 

for the first time, it's uncertainty she sees in sana's eyes. the bait is thrown. nayeon doesn't miss the way sana briefly looks to momo, whose smile seems permanently stuck to her face. momo lets go of sana, giving the slytherin girl an encouraging pat on her shoulder. it's according to plan, when sana frowns at her slightly, because this wasn't part of their plan. or was it?

as jeongyeon had predicted, sana bites the bait. chaeyoung and dahyun whoop loudly, hyping up the room as nayeon wags her finger at sana in a come-hither gesture. she spares jeongyeon a brief look of apology, who only smiles back in understanding, and returns to watching momo, whose jaw is now strangely tight. interesting. 

sana is a good kisser. that she knew, from their days of fooling around. but it's always a competition, in the way sana is licking into her mouth. as through trying to make her regret giving such a dare. but nayeon doesn't relent, and bites at sana's lower lip, until dahyun steps forward to pull them apart. literally. 

"gross!" tzuyu yells, scrunching her face up in disgust. "i could have gone my whole life without seeing that." the beauxbatons girls cheer, because it turns out they're secretly all party animals, and such good sports. which includes jihyo, in all her purple-haired glory, who's currently yelling for an encore.

nayeon slides back into jeongyeon's lap with ease. wraps her arms around jeongyeon's neck and whispers her apologies. then nips just below her earlobe for good measure. trails her fingers up the short haired girl's thigh -

"l-later," jeongyeon swallows. catches nayeon's still-wandering hand, then nods to momo. "momo doesn't look good. they're not talking to each other."

right. the  _other_ plan. so much for being distracted. her head is a little fuzzy, but she gets it together to see what jeongyeon was talking about: momo's suddenly talking to jihyo, facing away from sana for the first time that night, while sana busies herself with spinning the bottle. bingo.

it lands on tzuyu. double bingo.

"truth." the slytherin captain is suddenly back to her stone cold self. nayeon watches as sana's eyes dance with anticipation. there is no longer any trace of the earlier slip-up, and sana exchanges a look with momo, who has the same excitement reflected in her eyes. it's go time. 

"do you have a crush on anyone in this room?"  

someone snickers. tzuyu's eyes go wide, and the room watches as she processes the question. jeongyeon tries not to laugh at the way the  _yes_ slips out from her lips so easily. squeezes nayeon's hand when her girlfriend doubles over laughing, because tzuyu is no doubt surprised at the way she'd let out the truth so easily. her eyebrows narrow as she takes another long swig of her firewhiskey (courtesy of sana), and nayeon reminds them to speed up the plan. tzuyu is the kind who catches on quickly anyway, given her personality. 

the game passes in a blur. jeongyeon doesn't know if it's possible to enchant the damn bottle to land on jihyo, because the veritaserum is wearing off, and they're running on borrowed time. it's evident in the way sana is getting a little antsy, and momo is surprisingly, still by her side. their supply of alcohol is depleting faster than usual, and thankfully a few of the beauxbatons girls and the slytherin team have decided to return to their rooms to rest. they're down to just eight of them in the circle, and the game has gone from zero to hundred pretty quickly. 

"jihyo!" chaeyoung points at the half-veela. the bottle is finally, finally pointing straight at the purple haired girl and she wastes no time. "truth or dare?"

jihyo is still smiling. like the sun herself, and it's a little distracting. the gravitational pull feels a little off in the room. nayeon watches as chaeyoung averts her eyes, because the veela magic seems to have amplified itself, with every bottle of firewhiskey that disappears into jihyo's hands. 

"truth."

"hm," chaeyoung pretends to think. "would you kiss tzuyu?" 

the room falls silent. sana grips momo's arm in anticipation. uses it as an anchor to stop her from imploding. from the suspense, that is. she only hopes the veritaserum hasn't wore off -

"who wouldn't?" jihyo's voice rings out. she's still smiling, but only this time it's directed to tzuyu alone, who looks like she might pass out. "i mean, only if she wants me to." 

nayeon slaps jeongyeon's shoulder. it's a mini celebration, of sorts. sana is a genius. who, has started squealing and clapping like a seal. 

"would you? tzuyu?" chaeyoung raises her eyebrows. everyone turns to look at tzuyu, and tzuyu has never regretted befriending all of them as much as she did right now. letting jihyo kiss her? of course she would. anyone with a right mind would, really, given that the half-veela is perfection herself -

reality is unforgiving, once again, in the form of nayeon's maniacal laughter. which is piercing, as usual. which she should be used to by now. tzuyu's not sure what happened after that, because jihyo is suddenly crouching in front of her, all up in her face (when did that happen?) and everyone else is shouting.  

"really?" jihyo says, voice soft. it's only the two of them now. everyone else doesn't matter, when a literal goddess is in your face. "you mean it?"

tzuyu is confused. her last two brain cells are struggling to process everything. "mean what?"

"me. being perfection." jihyo laughs. 

oh god. she said that out loud. tzuyu wants nothing more to jump into a hole and never come out, but jihyo's finger is tracing her jawline and jihyo is looking at her like  _that_ -

"yeah." she ends up saying. someone hoots again, and tzuyu finally registers what is it they're all shouting about - for them to kiss. what idiots. then jihyo's smile explodes into something tzuyu thinks she will never forget, not when her heart is yet again threatening to explode out of her ribcage and her palms are starting to sweat.

three inches, two inches - jihyo smells of something expensive. right, grapes. tzuyu's last brain cell registers the other girl closing the distance between them, and manages to close her eyes before she feels the softest press of lips against her own. it's the briefest of brief. shortest of short, but there are fireworks and her limbs feel like cotton and it's over before tzuyu manages to breathe. she opens her eyes only to see jihyo's own eyes shining, ever so brightly, and makes a decision.

"we're leaving," she stands up, grabs jihyo's hand and pulls the half-veela up with her. "goodnight." then ignores all the cat-calls as jihyo tangles her fingers with her own. her heart is full, and she feels like mush, and she kind of wants to kiss jihyo again. and again.

and again.

/

jeongyeon collapses into the couch. the one nearest to the fireplace, because it's cold, and she's tired from all the cleaning. parties will be parties, but she's not about to get detention for dirtying the common room for a party she didn't even organise (had a part in, but  _definitely_ not organising). because muggle cleaning is much more effective. and therapeutic. 

"sana owes us. big time," nayeon mumbles, as she slumps onto jeongyeon, who tries to shove her off. she throws her whole weight on the short haired girl, who yells, and they end up tumbling to the carpeted ground in a mess. they're the only ones left after tzuyu and jihyo had 'eloped', as dahyun put it. the party had ended shortly after, with sana being the one to call it off. and sana  _never_ calls off a party. 

well, at least tzuyu and jihyo got their happy ending. 

"i'm worried, jeong. you know how sana can get." she mumbles into jeongyeon's neck. the emerald carpet is soft and warm and neither of them are concerned about getting up. it's comfortable, it's homey, and it's enough. 

"we know momo got jealous when sana kissed you, so what's there to worry about?" jeongyeon kisses the top of her head. strokes nayeon's hair like how she always does, because it's the one thing she knows that will get nayeon to relax. "long distance is possible, you know."

nayeon pulls away. frowns at her girlfriend, before sighing. yoo jeongyeon is right, once again. the rational, logical side that never fails to keep her grounded. it was a pity they didn't get more out of sana. at least the veritaserum gave them a little insight on how the both of them really felt, in terms of emotions. a pity sana didn't choose 'truth'. 

"momo seems like a nice person, and they get along really well," jeongyeon continues. "stop worrying, will you?" she boops nayeon's nose, and nayeon gives in. because only jeongyeon can put her worries to sleep, with her magic words and caresses, and the corner of nayeon's lips curve up just slightly, before spreading across her face - a full blown gummy toothed smile, only for jeongyeon.

"okay," she nods. watches jeongyeon smile back at her. it's late nights like these where she manages to forget about everything. responsibilities, expectations - nothing matters when yoo jeongyeon is by her side, and nayeon knows it in her bones that this is happiness. this is what she's sure none of her family has ever experienced, because  _marriage is a duty to the family,_ and has learnt to tune out all the other bullshit they feed her with.

they lie in comfortable silence, until nayeon starts squirming around and accidentally slots her leg in-between jeongyeon's and jeongyeon lets out a shaky breath. oh. 

then the look in nayeon's eyes changes, and jeongyeon can only swallow thickly. it's predatory, and to be honest nayeon just wants to make it up to jeongyeon. for kissing sana. because she knows jeongyeon can get insecure, and hates how she made the short haired girl feel bad about herself. jeongyeon is a baby, and nayeon kind of likes it. how jeongyeon needs the constant reminder than nayeon isn't going anywhere. 

she kisses the base of jeongyeon's neck. right above the collar of her blouse, because it's pale and inviting and makes jeongyeon shiver. "remember later?" nayeon whispers hotly, fingers already sliding up jeongyeon's stomach. "how about now?" then pushes herself up to slant her lips against jeongyeon's. she makes sure to be gentle, because jeongyeon is secretly a softie, and licks her way into jeongyeon's mouth while the short haired girl finds purchase in nayeon's hair. 

"god," jeongyeon manages to say, in between kisses. "here?" she moans, because nayeon is already yanking off her red and gold tie and fighting the buttons on her blouse. 

"no one's here," nayeon slides a hand up jeongyeon's skirt. "besides, do you really wanna go back to my room? when sana and momo are there?" 

the resulting groan she draws from jeongyeon's lips is in sync with the way the short haired girl's hips push into her fingers. it's always so easy, reducing jeongyeon to a writhing mess. especially in public. and nayeon thrives. bends to kiss the pale expanse of jeongyeon's chest, where she'd always associate with home and love, and clenches at the way jeongyeon arches into her. 

but then jeongyeon catches her hand, and flips them over. the carpet cushions the impact, and nayeon is stunned into silence. because jeongyeon always lets her go first, regardless. something about having manners. 

nayeon tries, really. tries to be quiet. it's a public space, after all. but the way jeongyeon is biting and nibbling her way down her body has nayeon whining and begging and she uses the last of her sanity to cast a small  _muffliato_ in between pants, and lets herself go in jeongyeon's hands. 

"you're so pretty, you know?" jeongyeon rasps. nayeon rolls her hips. her skirt is unzipped. watching jeongyeon pull her panties down with her teeth (where did she even learn to do that) is a religious experience. ten out of ten would recommend, because the short haired girl's gaze burns into her and there is nothing nayeon can do but to rut her hips up against nothing. 

then jeongyeon stills. has a finger tracing the edges of her hipbone, and nayeon wants to cry. it's rather new, maybe two weeks old, and she knows jeongyeon hates it, but it's something she has to get over and done with. her father had sent an owl out of the blue, requesting a visit home for 'family matters', and nayeon knew it was coming. she'd put it off long enough anyway. family is always set in stone.

jeongyeon traces the outline of the skull. it hurt, of course. nayeon had spent the first two days crying, because it burned the living daylights out of her, having something burned into your skin. dark magic, especially. at least now she would have something physical to remind herself of her responsibilities. as if verbal reminders weren't enough. 

"i hate how i can't do anything for you." jeongyeon clenches her jaw. "you don't deserve any of this."

maybe she does. maybe it's her paying for the sins of her past lives.  jeongyeon is such a sweetheart, and it pains nayeon to see that she's beating herself up over something she has absolutely no control over. so she pushes herself up. thumbs the short haired girl's cheek, and kisses her chin softly.

"it's not your fault, you know that." nayeon tries. "besides, it's just a mark. like a family logo, or something. i'm still going to be me." kisses the tip of her nose. then her jaw. looks up to see that jeongyeon has softened, even more, and maybe nayeon melts a little.

just a little.

"it's okay," she says. whispers. puts all her emotions into the two words, because when it comes to jeongyeon, nayeon will do anything. like maybe, rip out her own bleeding heart and put in in her hands. 

"it's okay," she repeats. curls her fingers around jeongyeon's neck, and kisses the other girl. feels the shudder than ripples through jeongyeon. "it's like a tattoo. aren't hip tattoos sexy?" nayeon mumbles into jeongyeon lips, and feels her own abdomen warm at the short haired girl flushing red.

she slides an experimental finger in, and is rewarded with a broken moan. nayeon wants to know if it's possible to fall even more in love with the same person every single day. because with jeongyeon she thinks it's very possible, with how pretty jeongyeon looks like this, messy haired and ragged breaths, legs spread wide open just for her. with how jeongyeon genuinely worries for people she cares about. with how jeongyeon is willing to go to the depths of hell and back just for her.

it's never romantic. they aren't romantic saps, because romance is only for fools. romance is fickle. whatever they have is cemented and certain and so beautiful sometimes it reduces herself to tears, because it's the only solace nayeon knows she will get in this damned life of hers. and she's taking it. 

"i'm still me," nayeon coos softly. thumbs jeongyeon's clit just enough to send her over the edge, legs shaking and hips stuttering, screaming into the carpet. traces her unspoken apologies and gratitude into her shoulder blades, belly, every inch of ivory skin she finds, and hopes to salazar that jeongyeon will understand. 

that she isn't going anywhere. 

/

"you spiked my firewhiskey?"

sana jumps. her quill almost snaps, with how hard her grip is. then rolls her eyes before striking out the words she'd just written, because they had smudged. tzuyu's perched precariously on the table beside her, and sana has no idea when the other girl had gotten there, because schoolwork. 

"is sneaking up on people your new hobby?" she drops her quill. then folds her arms, because tzuyu is still staring at her, and it's getting a little creepy. sana hates it. the way tzuyu intimidates people with her lifeless stare. it's terrifying, especially in the dead silence of the library (thank god it was only the two of them), and she also hates how she still isn't immune to it.

she sighs. "yes, i did." pauses for dramatic effect. "aren't you gonna thank me?" 

tzuyu's upper lip twitches. sana counts to three, because technically it's the truth. she, in all her ingenious glory, was the catalyst. the library is almost empty, because no one studies on a saturday. other than the occasional first year. but she was in need of a distraction, and figured it would be best to catch up on some work.

"... thank you." tzuyu mutters. then rolls her eyes, before grinning like a lovesick idiot. "i was going to tell her, anyway."

sana snorts. dodges the wad of paper tzuyu throws at her, because 'chou tzuyu' and 'confessing' will probably never exist in the same sentence. in this universe, that is. unless the other girl suddenly matures and makes up for her emotionally stunted self. which might actually happen, given jihyo's emotional side, according to momo.

momo. the one person she'd tried so hard to distract herself from. it's not easy, when her brain constantly associates every single thing with momo. sana shakes herself out of it, because she's not going to entertain useless thoughts today.

"don't you ever think about it?" the words are out of her mouth before she realises. "the long distance thing. they're leaving in two days." her tone sharpens towards the end, and sana can't help the bitterness seeping out. it's the truth, and she doesn't know how tzuyu isn't seeing it. "i mean, when are you going to see her again?" 

tzuyu only smiles. smaller than before, but still. it's like sana's missing something. the punchline, maybe. as though it's going to hit her right in the head and knock out all her teeth. 

"of course i do," the taller girl says. pulls out the chair beside sana. it scrapes across the wooden floor noisily, but there isn't anyone nearby to be mindful of, so they don't care. "but i'm happy right now, and i'm not going to let my happiness go just because i'm not sure of the future." 

sana blinks. runs her fingers through her own hair, because wow. maybe tzuyu is really growing up. 

"you have to decide if she's worth it." there is a hand on her shoulder. sana inhales. the irrational fear of being alone feeds on her hesitation, and sinks its claws into her throat - she feels it constrict. decision making was never her forte, when it comes to crossroads. two roads diverged in a yellow wood, and how the fuck was she supposed to know which one to take? 

"you know how bad i am at making decisions." sana shakes her head. "i can't do this." then starts packing up, because the air in the library was becoming too stale for her liking. or, just her own mind playing games with her. 

tzuyu slaps her hand away. sana recoils. it hurts, because tzuyu can never control her strength. and maybe because she thinks she knows what's coming.

"you  _can,_ " tzuyu looks at her. sana braces herself. the other girl's eyes are blazing embers. it's like tzuyu has to get a message through sana, and sana's not sure if she wants to hear it. but tzuyu is persistent and gripping onto her shoulder so she can't escape, and sighs. here it comes.

"you have to stop running away every time you have a shot at happiness." tzuyu's voice is mellow. the message is a dagger to the gut, and sana hopes the pain doesn't show on her face. the one thing she'd hoped no one would notice.

"you're not your mother, sana. you're you."

the claws sink in even deeper than before. the poison spreads. her chest constricts.  _but it runs in the family,_  she wants to say. it's in her blood. three generations of infidelity? and yet, overshadowed by their outstanding achievements in the potions industry - society always focuses on the things that  _matter_. 

"it's like quidditch," tzuyu continues. "making decisions. right or left? up or down? you observe the guy. you follow your instincts." pats her shoulder, then stands up. 

"follow your instincts." tzuyu says. bends to kiss her on the cheek before leaving, emerald robes billowing around her feet. sana is left to drown in her thoughts on a fine saturday afternoon. okay.

she groans, palms digging into her eyes. feels the buildup of an impending headache, and sighs.

/

hogsmeade is beautiful, momo thinks. it's so full of life in this late spring, with flowers blooming and families walking around on a sunday evening. the shops are bustling with business, especially honeydukes, and momo can't help the smile that takes over her face, because candy. no one says no to candy. period.

it makes her homesick, just a little. misses the time they tried to go on a muggle roadtrip, because her father had very proudly built a car from scratch. of course, it had malfunctioned halfway and they all had to apparate back - it's still her favourite memory of family. 

but now they're all busy and barely home, and momo knows it's not anyone's fault. it's just part and parcel of life. the nostalgia passes her like a breeze, and she breathes in. the evening air is cold, and tastes just like the toffee she'd sampled. 

maybe she shouldn't have came. hogwarts was a magical experience, with meeting different people from all over the world to expanding her quidditch horizon - but to know that she would be leaving people behind again has her heart breaking into fragments momo's not sure are even visible. 

it's what she gets for moving around a lot. she should be used to this by now, the touch and go of people, but she never does. because momo knows she's weak, and hence the necessary distance. life is a journey for one, anyway. meeting people along the way would be a bonus - but also a weakness. 

so she stands up straighter. tucks a stray lock of hair behind her ear, and starts walking back for dinner. but then there are footsteps. loud, desperate, in a hurry - momo turns around. it's a familiar face. her breath gets caught somewhere in the middle of her throat, but it's okay because it's sana: standing there, looking so out of place with her robes slightly askew, hair disheveled by the wind, holding out a bouquet of roses. 

it's picturesque. sana is tiny, in the crowd. momo cracks a smile. it's funny, how she always manages to spot sana that easily, even in a sea of people. wonders if she'll always be looking for someone in the crowd. someone that will hopefully, be looking for her too. 

something cold touches the tip of her nose. momo blinks, only to see that it's snowing. opens her palm, only to catch a few snowflakes. there are excited screams all around her because it's spring, and what in the world is happening?

but then sana's lips curl into something momo's not sure she's ever seen before. it's just like the snow. white, pure and beautiful, coupled with surrender. powerless happiness, maybe. a stark contrast to the red roses in her hand. like how sana has foresaken her rights to her own heart, and is offering it to momo. because she'd lost her ownership a long time ago. 

momo's hands shake, with each step forward. clenches her fists, because it's all or nothing. all, meaning willingly subjecting herself to heartbreak and uncertainty. but when she reaches sana and sees her smile up close, momo thinks it might not be as bad as it sounds.

so she kisses her, softly, with the blessing of the first snow. 

/

goodbyes are always the hardest. 

"write to me, please," tzuyu mumbles in between kisses. "promise me." jihyo is gasping against the wall, and tzuyu never knew she had it in herself to be this... desperate. she pulls away, only to rest their foreheads together. the boat is leaving in ten minutes, and tzuyu really doesn't want to let her go. 

jihyo nuzzles softly into tzuyu. cradles the other girl's head only to look her in the eye. "of course i will," she whispers, with so much conviction it sends her head spinning. but there is no time, and tzuyu can only nod. 

the past two days have been a blessing. intense and emotional, but tzuyu wouldn't trade it for the world. jihyo has been nothing short of amazing, and mind-blowing: she thanks salazar every single day for blessing her with such an experience. 

it's difficult for slytherins to be happy in relationships. it's a stereotype, but it's also very true - tzuyu learns this at the painful age of fourteen. because there are always molds already set out for them to fit in, long before they were even born, and most people don't understand that.

but jihyo does. maybe she just craves the feeling of having someone to be happy with. who, also has the prettiest smile and hair and gave her happiness like she's never known. all rainbows and sunshine, and she doesn't want it to end.

the bell rings. tzuyu bends down for one final kiss. digs her nails into her palm because no, she's not going to cry. she's a fucking adult and she will handle this like one. tries her best to memorise the taste of jihyo's lips, how it slides effortlessly against hers, and what happiness looks like. memorises the exact shade of purple jihyo's hair is, and the exact way it curls in her hands. 

"goodbye," jihyo wraps her in a hug. her lips burn against the crown of tzuyu's head, and she can only smile wistfully as jihyo walks away. this isn't the end. at least, not yet. 

tzuyu sees sana and momo standing at the other corner, all wrapped up in each other. nayeon and jeongyeon join them shortly after, with hurried words of farewell as the beauxbatons headmistress rings the bell one more time. there are no tears, because this isn't the end.

but her heart still aches, watching the boat disappear into the fog. sana grabs her hand. nayeon, too, and maybe her heart hurts a little less, because tzuyu knows she's not alone. 

and she will never be. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> henlo i am @xylomyloo on twitter pls give me some inspiration to write

**Author's Note:**

> @xylomyloo on twitter if u want to come scream at me or leave prompts!


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